| Spath | |
|
Spath
Spath shown within Staffordshire |
|
| OS grid reference | SK085352 |
|---|---|
| District | East Staffordshire |
| Shire county | Staffordshire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | UTTOXETER |
| Postcode district | ST14 |
| Dialling code | 01889 |
| Police | Staffordshire |
| Fire | Staffordshire |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Burton |
| List of places: UK • England • Staffordshire | |
Spath, is a small village north of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England.
Spath is on the River Tean and is divided from Uttoxeter by the A50 road.
In UK railway history, Spath is notable as the site of the first automatic (i.e. train-operated) level crossing in the United Kingdom, which came into operation on 5 February 1961.[1] The railway has now been dismantled, the road which crossed it via the automatic crossing is now gated and only leads to a farm and there is no remaining visible sign of the crossing apart from a hole whose depth is unknown. Tests were carried out in 2004 to establish the depth, but work was halted after 7 weeks due to the cost. The depth was determined to be at least 5 miles deep.